Check-row corn-planter.



No. 651,439. Patented June [2, I900.

s. HOLDEN. CHECK ROWCURN PL'ANTER. (Application filed M8!- 7, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Q] U k 0 4 v l 6 e N m: R w L lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll IFI'EFTIIUIHLIIII 4 No. 651,439. Patented lune I2 1900.

s. HOLDEN. CHECK ROW CORN PLANTEB.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

022; MKiZV No. 51,439. Patented -.lu| |e-- l2, I900.

s. HOLDEN.

CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER.

A uca'ti'on filed 1 m. 7, 1399.1

(n Mddel.) a Sheets-Shoat a.

SEVY HOLDEN, or ORFORDVILLE, WISOONSIN, Ass cNoR or ONE-HALF To 'TORGIE 0. BROWN, or SAME PLACE.

CHECK-mow coRN-PLANTEn.

srEcIrIcArrIoN forming part of Letters Patent a... 651,439, dated June is, 1900.

Application filed March 7, 1899- 8 708,069. (NO model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SEVY HOLDEN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Orfordville, county of Rock, and State of VVisoonsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Row Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification and which are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to that class of checkrow corn-planters in which the spacing of the hills is measured by the drive-wheel, the checking by which the seed is released being accomplished by mechanism wholly in ternal as to the machine as distinguished from that type of machines in which a checking-wire is stretched across the field and acts in conjunction with the machine.

One of the great difficulties in machines of the type referred to is found in the fact that the hills are unevenly spaced if the ground is uneven, for the reason that the machine necessarily travels farther or, more properly, measures off a greater surface when its path is serpentine in a vertical plane than when it is straight.

One object of this invention is to provide mechanism whereby uniform spacing may be secured in a machine of the class referred to even though the surface over which the machine travels be uneven; and this object is attained by the mechanism hereinafter fully described, by means of which the tripping of the check mechanism is delayed when the machine encounters depressions or elevations in the surface of the field.

A further object of the invention is to prolarged scale. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6 (3 of Fig. 4.

The frame of the machine is in two parts-a front runner and a rear wheel-framejointed I together, as is usual in machines of this type. The frame of the rearward portion of the machine is shown at Aand is carried by an axle B, having the drive and supporting wheels 0 O. The frame of the forward part of the machine comprises the cross-bars D D and the shoes or runners E E, which rest upon the ground and cut the furrows within which the corn is planted. The front and rear frames are jointed together at'cZ d, so as to be capable of fiexure in a vertical plane. The hoppers for carrying the seed-corn are shown at F F, and the shaft for controlling the discharge-apertures of the hoppers is shown at G. Inasmuch as the hoppers and the mechanism for discharging the corn therefrom may be of any of the well-known forms of construction, I have not deemed it necessary to show these features in detail.

The shaft G is journaled in the forward frame of the machine, and the hoppers are so located that the seed-corn may be discharged immediately at the rear of the shoes E E. The shaft Gcarries a ratchet-Wheel g, with which cooperates a spring-pawl h, carried by a rocker-arm H, pivoted upon the shaft G. The rocker-arm H is caused to vibrate by means of a rigid link-bar 71', connected with one arm of a bell-crank K, pivotally carried in the manner hereinafter described by a beam a, mounted longitudinally as to the machine and carried by the shaft G and the axle B, the bell-crank being caused to oscillate by means of a striker-arm M, carried by a pinion m, inter-meshing with agearwheel 0, mounted upon the axle B. The gear-wheel O is locked to the axle by means of a spring-clutch mechanism 0, of ordinary construction, which is controlled by means of a lever 0.

A marker P, being an oscillating arm pivoted to the forward frame of the machine and adapted to strike the ground so as to make a mark therein in line with the corn dropped from the hoppers, is also controlled by the boll-crank K, being connected therewith by means of a rigid link-bar p in such manner that the movement of the bell-crank for turning the shaft G throws the marker downward. The marker P is retracted by means of a spring 1), connecting it with the beam a, and the tension of this spring is sufficient to restore the bell-crank K and the rocker-bar II to their normal position.

The wheels 0 0 track with the shoes E E and have their peripheral faces so formed that they will fill the furrows formed by these shoes, thereby covering the corn.

The machine as thus far described would operate successfully upon even or level ground; but inasmuch as the distance between the hills of corn is measured not by the distance the machine as a whole is advanced, but by the surface measured off by the drivewheels, provision must be made for delaying the checking mechanism in its action when any inequalities in the surface are encountered; otherwise the distance between the hills of corn will be unequal. This difiiculty is overcome by pivoting the bell-crank K to a vertically-movable frame which is elevated when the machine encounters uneven ground and is restored to its normal position when the checking mechanism is tripped. This device is controlled bya pair of arms Q, Q, pivoted to each of the shoes E E, one of these arms Q of each pair projecting forwardly and the other backwardl y and both members running upon the ground. A link qconnects the arms Q Q upon each side of the machine, being pivotally secured to each below the point at which it is pivoted to the shoe, the pivotpin, by which the bar is connected to each arm ,passing through a longitudinal slot of the bar. A cross-bar R extends across the machine, being supported by the bars (1 q. A lever S, pivoted to a bracket-arm s, depending from the beam a, rests upon the bar R and at its rearward end is connected by means of a link 8' with a frame T, pivotally mounted upon the arbor 0f the pinion m, which arbor is set through the beam at. The frame T extends forwardly from its pivotal point, and to it the bell-crank K is pivoted. \Vhen the bar R is raised, the rearward end of the frame T is drawn down, thereby raising its forward end, and with it the bell-crank K, so that the trip-arm M will strike the short arm of this bellcrank later than would otherwise be the case, and it is therefore necessary for the drivewheels to travel over a greatersurface before the checking is accomplished.

Should the machine encounter a ridge or elevation of any kind, the forwardly-proj ecting arms Q, will be raised, and with them the bar R. Should a furrow or other depression be encountered, the shoes will descend into it before the rearwardly-projecting arms Q, and this will consequently cause the bar R to be raised relatively as to the shoes. If both sides of the machine encounter the same inequalities in the surface of the ground, the cross-bar will of course be raised by the action of the elevating devices at both sides, and in consequence the lever S will be raised more than would be the case if the inequality were encountered upon one side only-as, for example, should there be a ridge or depression oblique to the direction in which the machine is moving. In any case the movement of the frame T will be proportioned to the inequalities of the ground, and the delay in the action of the checking mechanism will correspond exactly to the increased distance of travel of the drive-wheels relatively as to the distance the machine is advanced by their rotation.

It is of course necessary to hold the frame T in any position to which it may be elevated until the checking mechanism has been tripped. To this end this frame is made segmental in form, its peripheral face being provided with ratchet-teeth which cooperate with a spring-pawl t, pivoted to the beam at. This pawl is released by means of a bell-crank t, pivoted to the beam at and having its short arm pivotedto the heel of the pawl 25. The long arm of the bell-crank t is curved, being concentric with the segmental frame '1. The pivot-pin 70, by means of which the bell-crank K is attached to the frame T, is fixed to the bell-crank by means of a set-screw 7t" orsimilar device and has a laterally-extended head 7& which bears against the outer face of the long arm of the bell-crank if, so that when the bell-cran k K is tripped by the arm M the bellcrank t is moved so as to disengage the pawl 25 from the ratchet of the frame T. The frame T is forcibly drawn down, when released by the pawl 15, bya spring U, connecting it with the rearward end of the lever S.

It will of course frequently occur thata succession of inequalities in the ground-surface will be encountered between the checking operations, and it is necessary that the delay in the tripping of the checking mechanism shall correspond with the aggregate of these inequalities. Should the mechanism not be supplemented by something in addition to that which is already shown, it will be seen that if the arms Q and Q be allowed to assume their normal position after having slightly elevated the frame T this frame would not be still further elevated by anyinequality in the ground which did not raise them still higher. This diiliculty is surmounted by a vertical arm V upon the cross-bar R, adjacent to the forward end of the lever S, one of its edges being provided with ratchetteeth, with which a stud v, projecting laterally from the lever S, cooperates, aleaf-spring v, fixed to the lever and bearing against the arm V, forcing it against the stud. WVhen the forward end of the lever S is raised, itis, as already described, held in that position by the pawl 25. Should the barR be lowered before the latter pawl is released,it will of course carry the arm V down with it, thereby causing the stud 11 to relatively move upwardly upon its ratchet-teeth, so that it the bar is again raised before the checking operation is repeated it will still further elevate the lever S and correspondingly delay the tripping of the bell-crank K. The arm V is connected by means of a link 11 with the marker-arm I, so that as the latter is thrown downwardly the arm V is pulled backward and its ratchetteeth disengaged from the studo.

When the machine is turned at the end of a row, it is of course necessary to set its checking mechanism so that it will check in line with the corn already planted, and the marks made by the marker P assist in this adjustment. I place upon the top of the beam a a graduated scale a, the length of which is equal to the distance between rows and which is preferably subdivided into inches. The number upon this scale which is directly opposite one of the marks made by the marker P in the previous travel of the machine across the field will of course register with all of the successive marks across the field, and the checking mechanism must consequently be correspondingly set. A disk W, fixed upon the arbor of the pinion m, but upon the opposite side of the beam a, is provided with a grad uated scale upon its periphery. The checking mechanism is set by disengaging the clutch 0 from the gear-wheel O and turning the disk W until the number upon its face which registers with a pointer 10, fixed to the beam a, is the same as the number upon the scale a which is in register with the ground-marks in the last row. For convenience in determining the mark on the scale a which is in register with the ground-mark of the last row I prefer to mount sliding clips 20 upon the side members of the frame A, so that they may be readily adjusted as sighting-marks.

The drive-wheels O O are connected with the axle B by means of ratchet and pawls, this construction being shown in Fig. 1 and consisting of I an annular rack or ratchet X, secured to the inner face of the wheel, and a pawl or pawls Y, secured to the axle. The parts are so disposed that when the Wheels 0 0 advance they turn the axle, but they are left free to revolve in the reverse direction independently of the axle. This means of connecting the wheels and axle is very simple and is, perhaps, as satisfactory as any that can be devised, although any means that locks the two parts together so that in one direction they rotate in unison and they are disconnected when one of the parts is moved in the reverse direction will serve the intended purpose. This construction is common in harvesting machinery and adapts a machine having two drive-wheels to readily make short turns, as one of the wheels may be revolved more rapidly than the other, of course carrying the axle with it. The particular advantage, however, in this construction in connection with the present machine arises from the fact that when any unevenness is encountered in the ground one of the Wheels must revolve farther than the other in advancing the machine a given distance, and hence it is important that provision be made for the cooperation of the driving wheels with the checlcdelaying mechanism already described.

While I have shown the mechanism for delaying the tripping of the checking mechanism as being connected with the furrow-making shoes, I do not desiret-o be limited tothis construction, as any in which mechanism delaying the checking is operated by the depression or elevation of one portion of the machine relatively as to the other portions will come within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with furrowing-shoes,drive wheels and tripping mechanism actuated by the drivewheels for operating the seed-droppers, and means actuated by vertical movement of one of the supporting members of the machine relatively as to the other supporting members, for delaying the action of the tripping mechanism.

2. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with furrowing shoes, and drivewheels, and tripping mechanism actuated by the drive-wheels for operating seed-droppers, and means actuated by vertical movement of one of the supporting members of the ma-' chine relatively as to the other supporting members, for delaying the action of the tripping mechanism.

3. In a check-row corn-planter, the combi nation with furrowing-shoes, drive-wheels, means for actuating seed-droppers, a lever for actuating such seed-dropper-actuating means, a rotating trip driven by the drivewheels for tripping such lever; of a support for such lever, movable about the same center as the trip; and means, actuated by the vertical movement of one portion of the machine relatively as to other portions,for moving the lever-support.

4. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with furrowing-shoes, drive-wheels, means for actuating seed-droppers, a lever for actuating such seed-dropper-actuating means, a rotating trip driven by the drivewheels for tripping such lever; of a support for such lever, movable about the same center as the trip; and means, actuated by the vertical movement of the shoes relatively as to the wheels, for moving the lever-support.

5. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with the drive-wheels, mechanism for actuating seed-droppers, a lever for actuating such mechanism, an oscillating support for such lever, a trip-arm rotating. about the center of movement of the lever-support, such trip-arm being driven by the drivewheels, and with furrowing-shoes, of arms pivoted to the shoes and adapted to bear upon the ground, a cross-bar supported by such I arms, and a lever actuated by the vertical movementof the cross-bar for causing the reciprocation of the support of the first-mentioned lever 6. In a check-row corn-planter, the combi= nation with a lever for actuating the seeddropping mechanism, an oscillating support for the lever, a rotating trip-arm for actuating the lever, and drive-Wheels for rotating the trip; of furroWing-shoes, a lever actuated by the vertical movement of the shoes relatively as to the drive-wheels, for raising the support for the first-n1entionedlever,'a ratchet and pawl for locking the support in its elevated position, and means controlled by the rotating trip-arm for disengaging such ratchet and pawl.

'7. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with a lever for actuating the seeddropping mechanism, an oscillating support for such lever, a rotating trip-arm for such lever, and means for rotating such trip-arm; of furrowingshoes, arms pivoted to such shoes and bearing upon the ground, a crossbar carried by such arms, a lever, S, for raisin g the oscillating support, a catch releasable by the rotating trip-arm for automaticallj locking the support in an elevated position,

a ratchet supported by the cross-bar for engaging the lever, S, when the cross-bar descends after raising it, and means actuated by the first-mentioned lever for disengaging thelever, S, from such ratchet.

S. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with automatic checking mechanism having a rotating trip-arm, of a graduated scale mounted longitudinally upon the machine, a disk rotating with the trip-arm and bearing a graduated scale arranged circumferentially, and means for shifting the triparm to adjust its action with reference to the position of the machine as indicated by the longitudinal scale.

SEVY HOLDEN.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY G. HOLDEN, GEO. HELMBOLT. 

